Clematis Plant Named &#39;Evipo099&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new Clematis plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, violet purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification: Genus: Clematis. Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo099’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2005 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo099’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new Clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has a growth height of 120 cm, while the new variety grows to 70 or 80 cm. The male seed parent has a growth height of 120 cm, while the new variety grows to 70 or 80 cm.

The objective of the hybridization of this Clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant violet purple flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in Clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo099’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their Clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2006. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo099’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2006. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo099’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo099’.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings shows an open flower viewed from the side and above, tepals detached, reproductive flower parts, and a flower bud.

FIG. 2 shows a cluster of flowers on bare stem and leaves.

FIG. 3 shows a cluster of flowers on the branch with leaves. Illustrated plants are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo099’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in an open field. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the Clematis variety ‘Evipo023’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,166 are compared to ‘Evipo099’in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo099’ ‘Evipo023’ Flower diameter 120 mm 90 to 120 mm Tepal upper Violet Blue Group Violet-Blue Group 91A surface after 93B with a central bar opening intonation of Violet- Blue Group 93A Tepal count 7 6 to 8

Flower and Flower Bud

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is     generally from April to September. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Normally 25 mm in length. Bud diameter is 10 mm.         -   Bud form.—Elliptical.         -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 145B and 145C.         -   Texture.—Pubescent. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Surface texture.—Lightly pubescent.         -   Length.—On average 15 mm in length with 2 mm diameter.         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 145B with intonations of             Greyed-Orange Group 166A.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Lightly pubescent.         -   Shape.—Broad funnel.         -   Size.—1 mm (h)×4 mm (w).         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 145B. -   Flower arrangement:     -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.         -   Borne.—Panicle fashion with 3 to 7 flowers in each cluster. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 120 mm in diameter and 35 mm             in depth.         -   Profile.—Open flowers are nearly flat.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on             the plant. -   Tepals:     -   -   Tepal Color.—The upper surface is Violet Blue Group 93B with             a central bar intonation of Violet-Blue Group 93A. The lower             surface is Violet-Blue Group 93C. Yellow-Green Group 14C at             the central bar.         -   Quantity.—Normally 7 tepals.         -   Size.—About 55 mm in length by 33 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is ovate. The tepal apex is             acuminate. The tepal base is acute.         -   Apex recurvature.—None.         -   Tepal cross section.—Reflexed inward.         -   Margins.—Entire with light undulations.         -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Greyed-White Group             156D. Quantity: On average, 40.         -   Filaments.—Color: White Group 155A. Length: 10 mm.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 20.         -   Stigmas.—Level in location relative to the length of the             filaments and the height of the anthers.         -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 10 mm. -   Seed head characteristics: Seed not observed to date.

Plant

-   Plant form: Climbing. -   Plant growth: Compact, moderately vigorous. -   Size: Seasons growth attains 70 to 80 cm in height. Average spread     is 40 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 145B and             Greyed-Orange Group 166A. Mature stems are Greyed-Orange             Group 166A.         -   Internodes.—On average, 8 cm between nodes.         -   Length.—Normally 20 cm from the base of the plant to the             flowering portion of the stem.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Texture.—Mature stems are ribbed. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.         -   Arrangement.—Ternate.         -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are 120 to 170 mm (l)×100 mm (w).             Leaflets are about 70 mm (l)×43 mm (w).         -   Abundance.—On average 1 leaf per 10 cm of stem.         -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group N144A with             marginal intonations of Greyed-Orange Group 166A. Juvenile             lower Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group N144A with marginal             intonations of Greyed-Orange Group 166A. Mature upper             Yellow-Green Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group             146B.         -   Stipules.—Absent.         -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 70 mm in length by mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A with light             intonations of Greyed-Red Group 179B.         -   Petioloule.—Size: About 30 mm in length by 2 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A with light             intonations of Greyed-Red Group 179B.         -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate. The base is rounded or acute and the             apex is acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth, the lower side is smooth.         -   Thickness.—Moderate.         -   Glossiness.—Somewhat glossy. -   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the     species. However the variety is more tolerant to Clematis wilt,     Ascochyta clematidina, than some Clematis known to the inventors. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. -   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for     climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat     zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Clematis plant named ‘Evipo099’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to its abundant violet purple flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 